Keeping Serenity mostly about werewolves
by MRomeo
Summary: When Serenity's world falls apart around her, she is left alone. She has no one to help her. That is, until she meets Bryant, the boy who helps her find secrets about her family, the world around her, and keep not only herself, but her friends alive.
1. Chapter 1

This chapter and then next are extremely short compared to the next few, Hope you still like it

This chapter and then next are extremely short compared to the next few, Hope you still like it!!

**Chapter 1**

The last half hour of my life replayed in my head like a horror movie. I tried pushing the thought aside, but it kept finding its way back; the anger on his face, the hate in his eyes. I tried to shake it out of my mind, nothing worked.

Wind whistled past my ears, whispering, iIt's all your fault Serenity./i My eyes became watery and the path in front of me blurred. I let my feet take control, letting them pull me wherever they wanted. It didn't matter anymore, nothing did. I didn't care where I was going; I didn't even care if I got lost. I just wanted to keep running.

The trees on either side of me had turned into a wall of brown. A squirrel jumped out of the way just before my foot hit the ground it had been standing on.

My heart was racing in my chest dangerously. Me feet slowed in response to my pure exhaustion, and my knees gave out from under me. I fell to the ground, wet from the previous rain, but I barely noticed.

A thin stream ran in front of me and I stared at my reflection, or what was supposed to be. The girl that looked back ate me was not the girl I was two months ago. This girl was thinner, more fragile, and weak not only in heart, but spirit.

I splashed the water and turned away, pushing myself up onto a fallen tree that lay next to me. My lungs sucked in gulps of fresh air in effort to stop hyperventilating. I pulled my legs to my chest and buried my head between my knees.

"It's not your fault; it's not your fault." I rocked myself back and forth, my frail and bruised body shaking.

I had done nothing to deserve this, nothing to make him that angry. Nothing seemed to make sense, or even begin to. It seemed that after my mom's death, everything kept falling down hill.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

Bryant walked through the woods, his mind on the next day. Junior year; damn it had come fast. But not fast enough. Two more years and he'd be able to leave the hell hole he called home. Everything was so boring. Yes he had sports, but he wanted something more. Something most people wouldn't understand.

He'd left the trail long ago and let his feet take him deeper into the trees. Chipmunks scattered from the invisible path he walked. A cool breeze brushed past his face that would have made any normal human shiver, but his high body temperature of a comfy 109 degrees kept him warm. He was only wearing a light tee shirt and jeans, despite the cool fall air.

A stream started near him, and he followed it between trees and over rocks. It moved slowly and he listened to each ripple and turn.

Then his strong ears picked something up, a small voice ahead of him. Any other day, he would have turned and ignored it, but something pulled him towards the sound. He walked farther, listening to it become louder and louder. It was like sobbing, but the sound was still beautiful.

A girl sat on a fallen tree, rocking herself back and forth. Her knees curled into her chest and long brown hair draped over her legs. She looked like the living version of a painting that you would find in a famous art museum. Every part of his body tingled in a strange curiosity. His heart ached for her and he felt wonderfully strange. He hated seeing her so upset even though he hadn't even met her and he wanted to comfort her.

This is what he'd been looking forward to for the past three years. It exceeded his expectations and was nothing like what the others described. He gathered the courage to go over to her taking in a silent deep breath. His long strides carried him faster than he could prepare himself for and soon he was at her side.

He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, but he knew that would freak her out and she would run away. He wanted her to feel comfortable around him. He hadn't seen her face, but already he more than loved her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

"Are you okay?"

At first, the person standing beside me – who I guessed was a boy by the sound of his strong, honey sweet voice – was a blur behind my tears. I wiped them away with the back of my hand, leaving trails of smudged eyeliner along my wrist. The only reason I was wearing the eyeliner was because my mom had put it on me when I had visited her in the hospital that morning. I tried not to focus on that.

I looked up to the boy, at first taking in his tall structure. Then my eyes met his and my heartbeat started to race again. Every thought from this morning faded and my mind filled with thoughts of the boy in front of me.

His eyes were the same, soft brown color as his hair, surrounded by thick long eyelashes. I wanted to look over the rest of him again, and study each of his features, but my eyes wouldn't move from his.

I realized my mouth was hanging open loosely and snapped it shut.

"I am now," my voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm Bryant, Bryant Williams." He stretched a hand out to me. At first I didn't realize what he wanted me to do with it, my head fogged at the sound of his voice. Once I finally registered, I placed my hand in his. His grip was strong and careful. I could feel calluses on his palm, yet his hands were still soft and warm.

"Serenity, Serenity Walker." I had to think the answer over in my head to make sure I had answered it correctly. He must have seen the pause in my expression because I heard him laugh a bit. The sound was better than any I'd ever heard; like that of a bell choir. It made my heart stop all together and I had to mentally restart it. I could feel my cheeks heating and I tried to hide the feeling of minor embarrassment away.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I couldn't tell whether or not he was inquiring about my sanity and the fact that I was unsure of my own name at the moment or… "It looked like you were, well, crying."

The image of my lifeless mother jumped back into my train of thought and I looked away from Bryant's caring gaze to stare at the ground. He sat next to me, placing his arm carefully around my shoulder. Even the touch of his skin sent shivers through my body. I was already cold though – because generally when you run out of a hospital crying, you don't think too much about the weather – and his body warmed mine up easily.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." I'd only met Bryant a few seconds ago, but I felt like I'd known him my entire life. I felt comfortable under his arm and not awkward in any way. He saw I didn't want to talk, let alone think, about what was bothering me, and he didn't push me into saying something I didn't want to.

"But I really would like to learn more about you." I looked back up to his face. Sitting down he was already four inches taller than me. I swallowed hard to keep myself from doing something really stupid – like fainting or having a heart attack – and looking like a total fool.

"What do you want to know?" The words stumbled out of my mouth and I was surprised to find they actually made sense.

Bryant's eyes sparkled with something I couldn't put my finger on. I hoped it was curiosity and not, well, I shuddered to think what would go through most guys' minds if they found a vulnerable girl crying in the woods alone.

"Everything," he smiled making his eyes dance. I took that as an answer to my question and my cheeks flushed again. "Where'd you grow up? What do you like to do?"

Good, basic simple questions that I didn't have to breakdown in hysterics to answer. "I grew up here in Richmond. I really like art. I'm kind of a big art geek actually." I looked away slightly, but turned back and smiled. "And I'm not ashamed of it."

I was totally and honestly serious with him. I didn't' feel I had to hide anything. But that didn't mean I was going to tell him everything, at least not yet.

I half expected him to get up and run when I'd mentioned being a geek. No one as beautiful as Bryant would be seen even near an art geek. They were at the opposite ends of the high school food chain.

"That's really cool," Bryant seemed intrigued. The wind picked up again, blowing his skater cut, brown hair in his face. He shook it back and I shivered as I realized how angel-like he looked. He took it as my reaction to the wind and pulled me closer under his grip. He rubbed his hand over my bare arm in effort to warm me up. It nearly burned, but I wasn't going to complain.

"Do you think I could see some of your work sometime?"

I nodded. "Sometime." I smiled, thinking, there would be a next time. I'd be able to see his shining face again.

"Well, what about you? What do you like to do?" I had done enough talking, it was his turn.

He rolled his eyes and my expression became puzzled.

"I play sports just so time can pass by quicker until I can go to college." His eyes drifted away from mine and he stared into space. I kept my eyes on his expression, trying to see the feelings behind each word he spoke.

"There's nothing to do here. I can only take so much small town. It gets boring easily and sports get annoying. Everything here basically sucked," I noticed his use of the past tense and I became extremely intrigued. "That is until I met you."

He looked back at me. The edges of his mouth turned up to a smile and my cheeks turned bright pink. I turned my head away shyly, but not for long. I turned back to him and my heartbeat sped up faster then it had when I was running. It pounded against the wall of my chest. His sparkling eyes made every muscle in my body turn to jello.

Thunder cracked loudly above us and he stood up. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

He pulled me up and I realized Bryant was a good 6 inches taller than me and much more muscular.

We walked out of the woods, hand in hand, the electricity shooting though us. I never thought I would feel this way about anyone, but now I was falling for a guy I had just met.

We talked about our favorite foods, music, movies and books and found we had a lot in common. We both loved the same rock band and were both obsessed with hot fudge sundaes and chocolate milkshakes.

It had taken us a good twenty minutes to reach the small dirt parking lot. There was only one car left sitting lonely in the rain.

"This is your car?" I stared at the black Mercedes watching raindrops bounce off its smooth surface.

"Yeah, it was a birthday present from my grandparents." There was a hint of sadness to his voice. Not a, they're deceased tone, but an, I really wished they didn't tone.

"Nice." I gave Bryant a look of approval. He walked to the passenger's side and opened the door for me.

"Why thank you, sir." He was such a gentleman and so cute.

He leaned down to click my seatbelt into place, keeping his face less than an inch away from mine. My heart started to race again, for the third time today. I so badly wanted to close the small amount of space between us, but I didn't want to come on to strong, that and the fact that my body wasn't functioning completely. I kept my eyes looking strait ahead, unable to do anything else, and I jumped when I heard the ignition roar to a start. I hadn't even heard Bryant get in the car. He smiled wide, his teeth gleaming in the little light that was around us.

I gave him the directions to my house and before I knew it, we were speeding away. I gripped the sides of my seat as I watched the speedometer creep higher and higher. It reached 90 and my body screamed as an automatic reaction.

"Will you slow down!" The trees flew past us, merging together to form a solid wall.

"Relax, I always drive this fast." I swore I heard him mutter that he normally drove faster, but I chose not to hear it. He grabbed my hand reassuringly. "I'm a pro."

"Can you please slow down a little?" My voice was panicked and I had to do some extra deep breathing.

"Fine," he released the throttle and the needle dropped down to 75.

I kept looking out the window trying to calm myself. I watched the trees turn into the identical townhouses of Richmond. My house was the only one without the matching white picket fence and tan siding. It still had the un-renovated brick walls covered in ivy. The light on the front porch was off and I guessed my dad was still at the hospital.

In only a few seconds, Bryant was around the car and opening the door for me. We ran up the porch steps, dodging the rain. My hair was drenched by the time we took cover and lightning split through the sky.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" My voice cracked, weakly and I didn't want to leave him.

Bryant grabbed me by the waist and pulled me closer to him. He pressed his lips against mine and my heart jump started. I wanted to go back to the woods again, never to leave his side and never to return to the real world. He moved his lips from my mouth, down to my neck and back up to my ear.

"Of coarse my dear," his lips brushed my ear with each word sending shivers through my whole body. He kissed my cheek once more before heading back to his car. I watched as he drove away.

My heart so badly wanted him to turn around and take me with him, but I just watched the car slip away into the rainy night.

I opened the front door and flipped on the lights. The house was eerily quiet, but I was too tired to care much. I trudged up the stairs and went strait into the bathroom. I quickly rinsed my hair under the showerhead, too afraid to take a full shower. I didn't want to risk loosing his scent entirely until I was positive that what just happened wasn't just a dream. I tossed my clothes onto the floor and headed off to bed in my plaid pajamas and oversized tee-shirt. My heart was still beating erratically, but I didn't want it to go away. My mind wouldn't leave the thought of his touch, his perfect face, and his huge muscles as I slowly let my mind slip off into sleep.

Unfortunately, I didn't dream of him. The terrors of morning seeped back into my unconscious thoughts.

I was back in the hospital. My mom was laughing weakly with me as she talked about school and heading back. She reminded me to study hard and always do my homework. It was unneeded, I was a goody goody when it came to schoolwork, but it kept our minds off of her being sick. Then, the long beep of a stopped heart that had given up after two months of fighting, ended the conversation.

"Somebody help!" I screamed as I searched her face for some living part of her. Nurses and doctors came flooding into the room. "Charge to 500ccs." The doctor was handed two paddles and a shock ran through my mom's body making it jump. I watched in horror, tears streaming down my face. My dad ran in, shoving people aside to see his wife and hold her hand. Then came the worst words anyone ever wants to hear.

"Time of death, 1:23pm." A nurse jotted it down on my mothers chart and people started to leave the room. My dad kneeled next to her, his hand still holding her cold one. He leaned his head against the bed and cried. I had never seen him like that before. My dad never cried. He always acted strong in every situation no matter what. Now, the time I needed him to help me the most, he broke down. A fresh set of tears poured out over the old ones.

That morning I had run, I had fled the hospital as fast as my legs could carry me. But the dream me stood frozen watching my dad, staring at the frozen body that was my mom. The pain in my heart was unbearable. I kept telling myself to run, to go find Bryant in the woods, but my muscles wouldn't move.

I woke up, by breath fast and unsteady. There were tears down my cheeks and left a stain on my pillow. "It was just a dream." I told myself, but I knew it wasn't. My mom was gone. My best friend – my only friend – and mother, was never going to see me graduate, get married, and have kids. My life was basically at an end. I had no other friends, all my spare time was spent in an art room or the library doing homework. Now that she was gone, I just wanted to go back to bed, and to cry all day.

I was about to turn back over and stay in bed for the rest of my life, but then I saw the clothes I had worn yesterday. The dirt stains on the knees of my jeans, still wet from the rain. I remembered Bryant and a smile replaced my tears. Yesterday wasn't a dream. Bryant was real, and I really did see him. My mind drifted to the time on the porch.

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Of coarse my dear." A shiver ran through my spine. And I jumped out of bed. Maybe today won't be so bad after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I ran off to the bathroom and took a quick shower. I realized that as long as I kept my mind on Bryant, the day could possibly be okay. I was grateful that I lived in a huge town and it would take a few days for the news of my mother's death to get around, so I didn't worry about it coming up in conversation. I let the water run hot over my aching muscles. It had been years since I had run that hard and they still felt like goo. Each time I thought about Bryant, my heart would jump a little, and I would move faster.

I wanted to get to school, wanted to see his perfect face. I was going to go crazy if I didn't stop thinking about him, but I couldn't help myself.

I brushed my hair out and let it hang how it fell over my shoulders. There was a bucket of untouched makeup on my dresser that my mother had bought me, hoping that I would somehow change my ways and wear some of it. Now, I eyed it nervously.

_Maybe just a little? _

Oh god, I was going to put make-up on for this guy I barely knew. I didn't even know if he really did like me, but I was already head over heals for him.

I twisted off the mascara brush and ran it up my eyelashes. I looked in the mirror to find I really didn't look that bad. _Maybe a little more? _I picked out the brown eyeliner, biting my lip. I could always take it off.

With a deep breath, I ran the pencil tip along my bottom eyelids. When I was done, I took a small step back from the mirror, utterly bewildered by my appearance. I really did like how I looked and decided taking it off was not an option.

My feet skipped down the stairs for the first time in what felt like forever. My mom would've been so proud if she was still here, but I didn't let that bring my mood down. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and let my mind wander. I thought about Bryant – of coarse – and the way he looked at me; his eyes, his smile, and the kiss. But there was always the slight worry that he was just fooling around with me. That he was just in it for one night and he was going to leave me wanting more. He probable moved on to some pretty blonde girl who was closer to his level of hotness.

My thoughts were interrupted by a long, loud, honk from outside. I ran to the window and saw Bryant getting out of his Mercedes. My heart jumped. I rushed to the back door and grabbed my backpack, sliding my shoes on at the same time.

Before I opened the front door, I took a deep breath and straitened out my low-cut, v-neck tank. My mom had bought it for me forever ago but I had refused to wear it until now. I opened the door to find his tall, muscular structure leaned against the door frame. His eyes sparkled just as they had last night, and a smile spread across his face.

"Good morning love." I had forgotten to breathe and took in a gulp of air.

He placed his hand on the side of my face and kissed me gently. He pulled back and looked at my face again to see me flush a crimson red. His smile widened and he met my lips again, sending a shiver speeding through my body. I never wanted this to stop. I wanted my heart to stop each time he touched me, I wanted shivers to go through me each time we kissed. The feeling was amazing.

I shrugged my shoulder letting my backpack fall to the floor. My arms reached up to his shoulders and I tangled my fingers into his soft brown hair. His arms pulled me closer and held my body tight against his. I couldn't move from his grasp, not that I was trying to.

I opened my mouth slightly breathing in his minted, woodsy breath. He walked me backwards until I was pressed against the coat closet, his foot kicking the door shut making my heart race. He moved closer next to me – yes, somehow that was still possible. Every part of my body tingled in excitement.

His right hand reached down into his pocket pulling out a cell phone, but his lip never left mine. He murmured a hello, letting his mouth move only far enough away so that his words were understandable, but they still brushed mine.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll be there in a minute." He barely listened to the other end of the phone conversation as he kissed me. His lips burned mine, but it made me want more.

"Whatever, I'll be there in ten." He closed the phone cutting off whatever the other person was saying and threw it on the floor next to my backpack. He moved his arm back to my waist again, kissing me hard one more time before pulling away.

My cheeks were hot and probable a good, dark, shade of red. He smiled as he took in my expression.

"Ready to go?" I only nodded, my brain too melted to put together words. He picked up his phone and my bag out to the car and opened the passenger door. Never before had I met a guy so considerate before. Bryant was so charming and the color of my cheeks I had just gotten under control flushed red again as he leaned in and kissed my forehead. He started to stand up again, but I grabbed the collar of his shirt to pull him into me. He barely even moved with the force I tried to pull him into me; his body was so much stronger than mine.

He smiled as he figured out what I wanted and finished what I had started. He put one hand on the armrest and the other around my neck.

I didn't care how little I knew about him, there was something deep inside me that wanted him and only him.

Bryant brushed my cheek with his thumb before closing the car door. Any voice that had been screaming "Slut!" at me yesterday had shut up. I didn't care who knew it, but I wanted Bryant and no one and nothing else.

He was speeding again, but more conservative, down the road to school.

"You know, I do have my own car." I was trying to make small talk and for some reason, that was all I could come up with.

"Well your car looked like a piece of junk, even through the rain." I glared at him, though it was true. My old blue jeep got only about 5 miles per gallon, the radio didn't work, and it badly needed a new paint job.

"And I thought I should drive my girlfriend to school." I blushed again.

I had guessed I was his girlfriend – more like hoped – but I had known too many guys who hooked up with girls and completely forgot about her the next day.

"So I'm your girlfriend?" The car slowed as we pulled into the student parking lot.

"If you weren't, I most certainly wouldn't do this." He leaned across the armrest and kissed me again, but with twenty times more passion. My mind went blank when I felt his tongue slip into my mouth and my entire body shut down.

Bryant was this amazing, gorgeous, popular, jock and he was going out with me, plain ordinary, art geek, me.

My mind was still spinning when he pulled me out of the car. He slid my backpack over my arms and held my hand. I looked, not only towards the school, but the dozens of kids standing outside. They were all staring at something I wasn't sure of. But then I realized, they were staring at us.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

My body tensed. I could feel burning eyes staring at us (one pair per person x almost 1,000 kids. You do the math.). The sun was shining so most of the student body was standing outside in their cliques waiting for the bell to ring. Bryant's gaze never met those of the on looking teens, but he stood closer next to me. So close, that if we weren't walking in perfect unison, I would have tripped over his feet.

Bryant held the door open for me and I stepped into the reception vestibule nervously. I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breathe. I felt Bryant's arms slide around my back into my front pockets, and his warm lips kissed my neck. For a minute, I felt like I was living in a dream.

Bryant's lips dragged across my cheek as I turned my head to kiss him. His eyes sparkled and danced as they looked across my face.

He came back to my side, keeping his arm tight around me. We walked through the second set of opened doors into the commons. Of course, the Junior benches were the farthest away from the doors, so we had to pass freshmen, sophomores and seniors, who all turned to look at us. Everyone knew Bryant as the sports all star, but I was just a little no one.

"Bryant!" Two huge, well built, blonde haired boys hurdled through the crowd towards us. I thought they were going to knock us over, but at the last second, one of them put a huge arm out in front of the other and they skidded to a halt.

"Well, who do we have here?" The boys were almost identical except the one on the left was taller and huskier than the other.

"Guys this is Serenity. Serenity, these are Ben and Jack."

"Nice to meet you." My voice was small compared to the boys, but of course, I was an entire foot shorter than each of them and they had just nearly attacked me. I was aloud to me a little scared.

"She's cute." The taller one named Jack looked me over and my cheeks turned a faint pink.

"Hey back off, she's mine." Bryant barked.

"Ooh defensive." Jack said jokingly. An almost evil grin spread across his face.

Ben walked around us in a circle, eyeing the way Bryant had his arm around me. He whispered something into Bryant's ear that I couldn't understand and made him jab Ben in the stomach with is free elbow.

"Ow! Man you know we're just playing with you."

They didn't have time to say anything else because the first bell for homeroom rang.

"Aww! Fun times over." Jack's face was disappointed. "We'll see you at lunch."

The morning had gone well. Bryant and I had English and Spanish together. There were still people staring and whispering everywhere we went, but after awhile, I just ignored it.

"We have seventh period Chemistry together too." I had our schedules side by side on the concrete.

"That's not the only chemistry we have." Bryant whispered in my ear and kissed my neck. I blushed for about the hundredth time today.

What would have made up our lunch table sat outside in the courtyard. The sun was shining for once and we were taking advantage while we could.

There were mostly boys and only two other girls out with us, Lexie and Bianca.

"Aww you two are adorable!" Lexie said from next to Ben.

"Hey I can be like that too." He kissed her and she laughed flirtingly.

The last three periods flew by in a blur. Most of my teachers were nice and my gym teacher was very understanding when it came to my sports disabilities once he saw who my boyfriend was. Most teachers were like that too. I quickly learned there were quite a few advantages to having your boyfriend as the captain of the football team.

The last bell rang and I was relieved that no one had mentioned my mother. Word hadn't gotten out but I wasn't eager to have it out there yet. I went to my locker to switch notebooks to bring home.

"I can't believe we have homework on the first day." Bryant was annoyed, but his voice still made me smile. I shut my locker and turned to start walking to the parking lot. Bryant was standing over me, his arms reached on either side of me to lean against the locker. There was less than an inch between our faces and he smiled like he had this morning. I couldn't help but smile back, how could anyone resist a face like that.

"What?" I asked after a long silence.

"Do you have any idea how pretty you are?" My face flushed a bright magenta and I rolled my eyes. He just laughed and closed the space between us. Freshman girls giggled as they walked by and the rest of the school broke into a new set of whispers.

"You ready." He took my hand and we walked out to the car.

The sun was still shining, making Bryant almost glow. He looked even more amazing than he normally did making my thoughts fog up.

He sped out of the parking lot with ease. We had the windows open and a CD of the band we both liked blasting. I watched his hair blow around his face as he sang along with the words. I leaned my head against the headrest and closed my eyes to listen to Bryant sing. Though it was a hard core song, his voice still sounded like an angel.

We arrived at my house in ten minutes. My dad's car was missing from the driveway still and I guessed he was taking care of funeral things or whatever you did after someone died.

"Do you want to come inside?" My voice was unsure, but I wanted him to. I wasn't ready to leave him yet.

"I thought you'd never ask." He smiled showing all his pearly teeth as he hopped out of the car. I was about to open my car door, but he had it open before I could even get my hand on the handle. I unlocked the front door and he held it open as I walked in.

There was something different about the house. It felt emptier than it normally did. I just figured that it was become mom was gone.

"So this is your house." It wasn't a question, just merely an observation.

"Would you like something to drink?" I pulled a water bottle out of the fridge for my self.

"No thank you. But there is someplace else I would like to." Bryant's eyes twinkled in the natural light from the sun. Of coarse that's what he wanted to see. Why else would he want to come in?

I smiled back and shook my head. "Come on." I grabbed his sleeve and dragged him upstairs to my room. I took him through the wood door at the end of the hallway that opened up to my room.

"Make yourself at home." I watched Bryant fall gracefully onto my bed, his legs hung off the edge slightly and he rested his hands behind his head. I laughed slightly as he closed his eyes. I turned to my computer on to check my e-mail, expecting to find 500 from the family asking how I was, only to find a note, folded, with my name written on top.

I unfolded it a bit surprise and Bryant shifted his weight to the edge of the bed. I immediately recognized the sloppy script that I had taken years to master reading.

My Dear Serenity,

I'm sorry to do this to you when your world seems to be falling. I couldn't bear to stay in town for much longer and need some time away, alone. I promise I won't be long. I want you to know that I love you and I will be back soon. I'll find some way to call in a few days to check in on you. I'm not sure where I'm going, but I will be thinking of you. You're aunt Lucy is taking care of everything for mom and I won't be back for the funeral.

Be careful while I'm gone. I'm sorry.

Love Always,

Dad

Tears broke from my eyes and I felt Bryant's arm around me. I gave into his hug and dug my face into his side.

Why was everything happening to me? First my mom, now my dad.

I felt myself being lifted out of my chair, but I didn't care enough to look. I just felt that I was closer to Bryant's face, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, crying into his broad chest. The next thing I knew, we were sitting on the bed. I was in Bryant's lap, his fingers running through my hair. We sat like that for what felt like forever, waiting too long for my tears to run out.

"Everyone keeps leaving me." I knew Bryant would never ask, so I started to explain. "The reason I was in the woods yesterday is that my mom died." I sniffled as the tears I had finally stopped came back again. "We were really close. She trusted me, because I always did what she told me. And I would tell her everything, no matter what. Even things most girls would keep from their best friends.

"Two months ago, she got really sick. She had breast cancer. They found it too late to remove it, but she went for chemo and they tried some new things on her, but nothing worked. She just got sicker and sicker.

"Finally her body just couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't bear to watch my dad by her after she died. I'd never seen him like that; I just couldn't watch. So I ran." It felt like it was forever ago, but it was only just yesterday.

"Now my dad's gone. He just left and he didn't even say where he was going, or when he would be back.

"I just feel like everything is falling apart. Everyone keeps leaving."

Bryant pulled me closer into him, his body radiating off excessive amounts of heat that was completely abnormal for any human being, but it was comforting and relaxing.

"I hate the rest of my family, and they don't like me much either. I don't know why, but my dad was kind of kicked out of his family. And my mom's family is snotty and horrible. There's no where for me to go." I paused and looked up to Bryant, ready to see a nervous, overwhelmed fact that wanted to run away from all my baggage. But his face was soft, like he understood.

"You're all I have left." I whispered more to myself than Bryant, but I was sure he could hear.

His hand turned my face, making my eyes meet his.

"I'm not going anywhere." His words were strong and unshaken. He turned me onto the bed and I sat cross-legged facing him. He held my small hands in his and his face became serious. I watched his thumb trace around each of my fingers.

"I know I only met you yesterday, but…" his voice was almost shaky and it made me nervous. "I've never felt like this about anyone. I think about you all the time. You're in my dreams at night and my daydreams during school." He was speaking so fast I had to listen hard just to hear a single sentence. "And when we're apart I can't stop worrying about you." He stopped and I let my brain catch up.

"Serenity, I love you." Bryant looked up to me for a brief moment only to find my eyes wide. He turned away thinking I was horrified, but I was just making sure I had heard correctly.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same, I… I just wanted to tell you." So I wasn't going crazy, my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. He pulled his hands away from mine. The twinkle in his eyes that had always made my heart stop disappeared. I could tell he was embarrassed, and he had every reason to be. He had just told a girl he barely knew that he loved her and her only response was a blank stare.

My lips spread into a wide smile, but Bryant didn't see. I practically jumped into his lap, taking his face into my hands. I kissed Bryant with every bit of feeling I'd had for him since the day in the woods. I pulled back leaving only our foreheads touching. His eyes bore into mine.

"I love you too." A smile spread back across Bryant's face and the sparkle came back into his brown eyes. He wrapped his huge arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. The strange excessive heat that radiated off of him nearly burned my skin, but I chose not to say anything.

After a while of perfect silence, Bryant loosened his grip, but still held me in his lap. "Do you want me to stay here? Overnight I mean." I looked back at the note on my desk, remembering that no one was living here anymore but me. For how long I didn't know, but I didn't want to be alone.

"What will the neighbors think?" I gasped, trying to lighten up my mood.

"Let them think what they want, I just want you to be okay." His eyes were serious and sincere. Why did he have to be so perfectly amazing?

"But you're not packed for the night. Don't you need pajamas?"

"I'll run home faster than you can finish saying I love you." He kissed my nose and ran to the front door.

He was serious. He was actually going to stay with me all night. I probably should have been worried that I was letting an almost stranger into my house to sleep over, but deep down I knew Bryant wasn't going to hurt me in any way.

I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top so I wouldn't have to change while Bryant was here. By the time I heard his car door close, I had finished all of my homework, complete with "I heart Bryant" doodles in the margin.

I started to run and try to meet him at the door, but he was already standing outside my room.

"How'd you…" he pressed his finger to my lips. He had also changed into sweatpants, but he wasn't wearing a shirt. His muscles were well defined and left me speechless.

"Should I have brought a shirt?" He caught me staring at his perfectly shaped abs.

"No, this is good." I smiled.

I let him into the room and he dumped his large duffle bag by my closet. I watched his large figure drop onto my bed. He shifted his body as close to the wall as he could, and rubbed the spot next to him. "Come lie with me."

I blushed a bit, but willingly complied. I rested my head on his shoulder and curled up on his side. It was already eight and I was exhausted. First days were tiring and the warmth of his skin made me slowly drift into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, it wasn't deep enough to be dreamless and last nights nightmare took over my thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I woke up gasping for air. The look on my father's face was vivid in my mind and I had to wipe a tear from my eye.

"Bryant," I started to panic. He had left; he wasn't lying next to me. I knew he was too good to be true. No normal person would have stayed with someone in my condition.

"You okay love?" I turned over to face the song-like voice and was relieved to see my boyfriend standing in the doorway.

"Bad dream." He was still shirtless, but now he wore baggy blue jeans, patched at the knees.

"Hope you don't mind, I took a shower." Water sprinkled onto my sheets as he kissed me good morning.

"Of coarse not," I rolled off the bed and gather my toiletries and an outfit for school. It was my turn to clean up.

After I had finished my shower and gotten ready, I opened the bathroom door to find the smell of bacon and eggs floating though the house. I grabbed my backpack from my desk, taking one last look at my dad's note tracing each word.

"I'm not alone, dad." I practically ran downstairs, eager to be in Bryant's arms again.

The small, round, kitchen table was set for two, with bacon, eggs, and toast steaming on each plate. A vase of fresh cut lilies stood as a centerpiece.

"You made us breakfast? You really didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to." He kissed my forehead. "Now sit and eat before it gets cold."

He pulled my chair out for me and I graciously sat down. It was hard to eat – I nearly refused to look away from Bryant's face – but the food I managed to get from the plate to my mouth was delicious.

"Where'd you learn to cook like this?" I ripped off a piece of toast and popped it into my mouth.

"My mom, but she's a better cook than I am any day." He smiled as he swallowed a strip of bacon whole.

"She doesn't mind that you slept over your girlfriend's house?"

"Nope, she's just happy that I'm happy."

"Your mom must be pretty awesome then." I felt a pang of sadness run through me. My mom would never let me sleep over my boyfriend's house, especially unsupervised.

"She is." There wasn't much feeling behind his words, as if he was trying not to make me feel bad about my own mother.

"Come on," Bryant said after swallowing the last of his eggs. "We better get going." Bryant quickly washed each dish and I dried them and put them back in their rightful homes.

School passed in a blur. I struggled to take notes and pay attention in class, but all my mind wanted to focus on was all that had happened in the past two days. Images of my dream would frequently decide to pop back into my thoughts. Then in an effort to make myself feel better, I would think of Bryant, and that would just lead into a million other thoughts.

At lunch, the boys talked about up coming football tryouts and discussed the possible freshman choices. They lost me once they started talking about specific positions, so I was free to start my homework.

Bryant drove me home as usual, and I let him into the house. We spread our chemistry books on the living room floor to do our three hours worth of homework. Normally science homework would be easy for me, but with the feeling of Bryant's eyes staring at me every five seconds and stealing kisses in between, it was hard to concentrate. By five-thirty, we had finally managed to finish and now we were starving.

"What do you want for dinner?" I headed to the kitchen, figuring since Bryant had made breakfast that it was my turn to cook.

"Well, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to eat at my house. My mom really wants to meet you." His eyes were innocent as if he were asking me to assist him in committing a murder with him – which I easily would have done – and not going to meet his parents.

The only time we had talked about family was last night, and that was more of me spilling my guts out than talking. I didn't know anything about his parents, or siblings, if he had any.

"Okay, but what am I supposed to say?" I'd never met boyfriend's parents before; I'd never even had a real boyfriend before.

"Don't worry. I'll brief you before we get there." He made it sound like it was more of a spy mission than meeting my first love's parents.

"Bryant, I'm serious. I want them to like me." I pleaded.

"Baby relax," he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Just be yourself and they'll love you."

I rested my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat, feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath. "Alright, let's go," I finally said.

He squeezed me tight and I could feel him smiling. "This is only because I love you."

Twenty minutes later, we were parked outside Bryant's house. Though it was huge, it looked like a fairytale cottages.

"Okay, let me just double check." I started counting on my fingers. "Dad – Dan- and Nick, say anything sports related and I'm set for life." Bryant nodded his head. "Mom likes home crafts like knitting, and Emily likes coloring and anything pink or purple." The entire car ride I had been memorizing each family member and taking mental notes.

"Perfect, now will you please calm down? You have nothing to worry about."

I took a deep breath. Never had I been so nervous in my life.

"You ready to go inside?" Bryant was completely relaxed. He'd already met the four people I was most afraid of at the moment.

I closed my eyes and laid my head back on the headrest. They're just people. It's just like making new friends – though by the amount of friends I had at the moment, maybe it wasn't best to think of what I was about to do in that way.

I felt Bryant's lips on mine and everything I had been thinking of disappeared.

"Are you ready now?" His breath blew across my face making me slightly dizzy.

"Uh-huh," for the first time, I let myself out of the car, though Bryant was next to me as soon as I had the door closed.

"Next time I'm just going to skip the pep talk and just kiss you into doing everything." He wrapped his arm around my waist.

"That could work." I smiled as far as my worry would let me.

Butterflies flew around in my stomach as the door became closer and closer. Bryant kissed my cheek then reached his free hand out to knock on the door.

A little girl, no more than three feet tall opened the door. Her short black hair was up in pigtails and her eyes sparkled the same way Bryant's did.

Bryant picked the little girl up and tossed her into the air. She yelled out a squeal of joy when she landed softly on his hip.

"Emily, I want you to meet Serenity. Serenity, this is my little sister Emily."

Though Bryant told me Emily was adopted, they looked like they could be related. They both had the same sparkling brown eyes and naturally tan Italian skin tone.

"Hello Emily, it's very nice to meet you," the little girl smiled, and then whispered something quietly into Bryant's ear.

"Yes, she is very pretty." Bryant looked strait into my eyes though his words were meant for Emily. I felt my cheeks begin to heat up.

"I thought I heard your voice." A tall, slender woman walked into the foyer where we were standing. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and an apron was wrapped around her waist.

"Mom, this is Serenity." Bryant introduced.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Williams. Your home is absolutely beautiful." I looked up to the high ceiling, watching light dance on the crystals of a magnificent chandelier.

"Thank you, it's wonderful to finally meet you." Mrs. Williams wiped her hands on a towel that hung over her shoulder before shaking my hand.

"Bryant, Dad's in the den with Nick and dinner will be ready in ten.

"And you, little one," she pulled Emily from Bryant's arms. "Need to go get washed up." She tickled Emily's stomach making her giggle with the sound of childhood innocence.

I followed Bryant into a room towards the back of the house. One wall had wide windows and a sliding glass door that led out to a garden that had died with the cold of fall. A widescreen TV hung over a brick fireplace. On either side of the TV were two trophy cases. One had pictures of Bryant playing football and lacrosse from the time he had probably just learned to run. The other, had picture of a blonde haired boy playing baseball and soccer. Together the two made up 90 percent of the sports world.

It was easy to see this was boy's territory; sports memorabilia hung on the walls and shelves. The wood paneled walls hid any slight feminity that would have been left by paint.

"Hey Bryant, your team's down by four touchdowns and a field goal." Nick – I figured from the trophy cabinet and family pictures we had passed on our way to the den – was sitting on a leather couch opposite the TV. His feet rested on the glass coffee table in front of him.

"It's only the second quarter; don't get your hopes up." Bryant dropped onto the couch next to his brother and pulled me onto his lap.

"Bryant." I whispered, slightly embarrassed. I punched his shoulder only to leave my knuckles red and throbbing. Bryant only smiled, mockingly, at my pure stupidity. I attempted to slide off his lap onto the couch, but his arms formed a barricade around me making me unable to move even an inch.

"So this is the infamous Serenity." Bryant was the spitting image of his father. They both had the same brown hair, brown eyes, thick lashes, and slight glow.

"No, Bryant brought home some random girl off the street and now she's sitting in his lap." Nick remarked sarcastically. Bryant reached over and slapped him in the back of the head.

"Well it's nice to meet you. Please ignore Nick's rude behavior." Mr. Williams reached over Nick to shake my hand.

"Time for dinner," Emily jumped down the single step into the den.

"At halftime," Nick was back into the game as they were about to start another play.

"Mommy said you'd say that," her voice was high pitched and sweet. "So she told me to tell you that if you didn't come eat now, you won't get dinner or dessert."

"Oh really?" Nick turned away from the TV. "Because I think you're making that up."

"No," the little four year old shook her head more than she needed to, making her pig tales swing back and forth.

"Well, then I'll race you." Nick jumped over the coffee table towards the door, but not before Emily had rushed, as fast as her little legs could carry her, out into the hallway, Mr. Williams following after.

"See, you're fine." Bryant kissed the space between my neck and my chin. "Shall we join them?" He lifted me off his lap, standing me in front of him.

Bryant led me into a large dining room with a table set for six, but could easily hold ten. I took a seat between Bryant and Mrs. Williams, who sat at the head of the table. Emily had to kneel on her chair so her tiny body could reach over to take a roll out of a neat basket.

"Help yourself Serenity." Mrs. Williams offered me a bowl of carrots.

"Mom makes the best fried chicken on the planet." Bryant reached across the table to pick up two pieces of chicken and then placed one on my plate, the other on his.

In a matter of seconds, Bryant, Nick, and Mr. Williams had piled as much food on their plates as possible before beginning to scarf it down.

Emily had cut her roll in half making two eyes, a drumstick laid down the middle of her plate made a nose and she lined up her carrots to make a wide smile.

"You know, I think he could use some hair." Mrs. Williams leaned over to look at the art creation that was Emily's dinner.

Emily nodded her head, letting her mother drop mashed potatoes around her plate.

"Does he have a name?" I asked her. She seemed to think for a bit, and then a smile spread across her face.

"Billy." Emily looked at her work, then ran her finger through his hair and stuck it in her mouth. "His hair is yummy," she giggled.

"Emily, please use your fork." Mrs. Williams asked.

I took a bite into the chicken. Boy was Bryant right when he said his mom made the best fried chicken. It was soft, juicy, and crispy. Way better than any you could get from some restaurant.

"Mrs. Williams, this is amazing."

"I'm glad you like it." She smiled politely.

My mother's recipe book used to consist of different take out menus and restaurant phone numbers. She was never much of a cook, but boy did she know how to get the delivery guy to their house in ten minutes or less.

"So Serenity, do you have any ideas about what you want to do once you graduate?" Mr. Williams spoke for the first time since we had sat down.

I had known almost exactly what I wanted when I got older, and once I'd met Bryant, it was complete. Of course I would only tell him the edited version.

"Well, I'd really like to be an art teacher some day and I'd love to have my own art studio."

"Yes, Bryant mentioned you were an artist."

How much had Bryant said in the maximum of 15 hours he had been home since we had first met?

"That reminds me, I haven't seen any of your work yet." Bryant took a break from eating.

"In time, I don't really have anything started at the moment, and I've sold or donated a lot of it. I just have some sentimental pieces left." I looked down at my plate.

I'd always kept my art fairly private. Only my parents, art teachers, and a few potential buyers had seen most of my work.

The rest of the dinner I talked with Mrs. Williams about things like school and my art while the boys talked about football.

After nearly all the food had been eaten – mostly by Bryant – I helped Mrs. Williams clear the table and let Bryant watch the game with his father and brother.

"Mommy," Emily tugged on her mother's pant leg. "Can I play with Serenity?"

"Well you have to ask her." Mrs. Williams finished cleaning the last plate.

Emily turned her huge, puppy-like brown eyes to me.

"Of course I'll play with you." A wide smile spread across her small face and her tiny hand grabbed mine, taking me out the back door.

Outside, the air was crisp and I pulled my wrap sweater tighter around me.

The backyard was a wide flat plot of grass the size of a football field that led to the same woods that were behind my house, only now we were a mile down.

"Wanna play hide and go seek?" Emily was practically jumping up and down.

"Sure. Do you want to hide, or should I?" I didn't have a little sister or any little cousins that I knew of. Emily was the most adorable little girl I'd ever met. I wanted to take her home, let her childhood innocence rub off on me and make me forget all the horrible memories.

"I'll hide. Start counting!" She ran off towards the trees.

"One, two three…" It really felt like I was Emily's big sister. Like I had been playing hide and seek with her every night since she had been adopted by the Williams's.

"Ten," I shouted. "Ready or not, here I come!" I headed towards the small swing set on the side of the field, looking under the slide and behind the small shed.

"I wonder where Emily could be." I heard a light giggle come from a cluster of trees and I walked towards it.

"I found you!" I picked Emily up from behind and swung her around in a circle just as she peered around the other side of the tree.

The purest laughter that could only come from a child erupted from Emily. I laughed with her, a real genuine laugh. There wasn't any reason to after mom had gotten sick until now.

I put Emily back on the ground and she ran off across the field.

"Try and catch me!"

I ran after he back towards the house. Bryant jumped out of the back door and lifted her up with one arm, tickling her with the other. She squealed and he plopped her back onto the ground a grin making his face light up.

Bryant wrapped his arms tight around my waist. "Having fun?" I smiled back and he lightly kissed my lips.

"Eww gross!" Emily yelled from behind Bryant.

"Yeah get a room." Nick came out the sliding door from the den.

Bryant let go of me and rushed at his brother chasing him into the wide field of grass. He grabbed a hold of Nick's shirt and tackled him to the ground. Emily half ran, half skipped after them in her purple sweatshirt and pink corduroy pants.

"Be careful!" Mrs. Williams walked up beside me and her husband ran to join the fun. "One of these days someone is going to get hurt, and I'm not going to say a word." She shook her head and we sat on two wicker chairs near the small garden.

"I just get nervous about Emily. She tries so hard to be one of the boys, but she's so little." Mrs. Williams looked over at her only daughter. Someone had found a football and they were trying to teach the only girl how to play.

"Bryant said she was adopted," I hoped my question wasn't too personal for a first meeting and turned to see the expression of extreme caring on her face.

"Yes, she is." She paused and her mind trailed back to someplace I didn't know. "My husband is a lawyer. He was working to defend a young woman on trial for the possession and selling of drugs.

"As a child, that poor girl had been tossed around from foster home to foster home. She was raped, and then she had Emily.

"After she was convicted, the court was going to put Emily into the foster system. But once I saw her while visiting Dan, I wasn't going to leave without her." A sad smile replaced the worry.

"She was just so tiny, and sweet. I didn't want her to be ruined by a life without a real family."

I looked at Emily and pictured her after years in foster homes. She wouldn't have the same smile or the same laugh. But here, she could live out her life happily without wondering whether or not she had a real home. She could keep her childhood innocence that made her so perfect, like a little angel.

"She used to have a hard time getting use to people. But she loves you, I can tell." Mrs. Williams turned to look at me; a light smile touched the corners of her bright red lips.

"I guess I can relate to her. We both don't have mothers, but were brought in by your family."

I turned away from Mrs. Williams's eyes. "I don't know what I would have done without Bryant." My voice was barely audible now. I felt Mrs. William's hand rest on mine. It didn't have the same excessive heat as her son's, but it was still warm and comforting.

Nothing that I said to Bryant's family felt awkward. They were so understanding and they didn't judge me. I felt comfortable and welcomed in their home, like I was a member of their family.

A loud cheer came from the boys as Emily caught the football in her two hands. The ball was bigger than her head and she struggled to stay standing as the force of the catch rocked her small figure.

"Serenity, you are welcome to stay here whenever you like." Mrs. Williams sent me a polite smile.

"I… I couldn't impose."

"Impose?" She started to laugh. I could see where Bryant got his. "Bryant would love me forever if I let you stay here.

"I don't think you understand how much he actually cares about you." Her tone was serious now. "Bryant has had other girlfriends before, but you're different.

"When he's with you, it's like he's a little kid again." The way she spoke made it feel like that was a good thing. "His eyes haven't sparkled like that in almost seven years." I tried imagining Bryant with hard eyes that didn't shine like the sun was out at all hours of the day. He wouldn't be the same boy I had fallen in love with in less than forty-eight hours.

"The way he looks at you." She paused. "And the way he talks about you. You should hear him. At first he had me worried, I thought he was thinking too fast. But when he told me about… what happened and saw the look in his eyes," she looked out at her oldest son. "I nearly shoved him out the door.

"Letting you stay here wouldn't even begin to show how thankful I am for whatever it is you've done to Bryant."

I had been looking at my hands for so long that I didn't see Bryant walking towards us and I jumped when I heard his voice.

"So what are you ladies talking about?" He slid himself onto the chair, putting me onto his lap.

"I was just asking Serenity if she would like to spend the night here." Mrs. Williams replied.

"Please stay Serenity." Emily's high pitched voice came from her father's arms.

"Yeah Serenity, please," the rest of the family had joined us, and Nick joined his sister in pleading.

"Okay, okay," I put my hands up in surrender. "I'll stay, but I need my things."

"Bryant will take you back home and we'll get started on dessert." Mr. Williams pulled his wife out of her chair and started walking towards the house.

"I'm glad you're staying over." Bryant said as we pulled up to my house.

"It's impossible to say 'no' to Emily." I smiled and got out of the car.

The mailbox at the front of the house almost overflowed with three days worth of mail I had been too preoccupied to even bring in. I let Bryant and myself into the house, dumping the mail on the kitchen table. I sorted through it, looking for anything that needed to be paid for. Ninety percent of it was little notes from neighbors expressing their gratitude.

Then a thick white envelope with my name and address in neat calligraphy caught my eye. I turned it over and slid my finger along the edge to open it. Inside, there were two pieces of paper, one thicker than the other. I first looked at the thicker one, it's calligraphy matched that of the envelope and a picture of my smiling mother stared back at me. I didn't need to read it to know what it was.

I stared at the note I had dropped on the table. It was probably just another sympathy letter, but it had been years since I had heard from any family other than my parents. I unfolded it, looking at my aunt's neat print and read it silently.

Serenity,

I was very sad to hear about your mother and know how devastated you must be. When your father called me, I immediately accepted the responsibility of planning your mother's funeral.

This must be a hard time for you, and I think your mother would understand if you did not attend. You do not need to come if you wish not to.

Feel free to give me a call.

Sincerely,

Aunt Lynn

It wasn't a letter like the others I had spread on the table. It was so serious and snotty, just like Aunt Lynn. She made it sound like her mother's funeral was a burden to her. My dad hadn't asked her to rob a bank, just a proper burial for her sister. I crumpled the paper in my hand and threw it in the garbage.

Bryant had picked up the funeral invitation and after seeing the look on my face, he pulled me into one of his comforting hugs. A tear involuntarily rolled down my cheek.

"I hate her. She doesn't even care about me or my mom and she doesn't want me there. My dad's not going so she wants to get rid of me." I pulled away from his tight embrace. "God I can't stand her!"

I smashed my fist on the table. It normally would have hurt and I'd most likely have a bruise later, but I was too furious to notice any pain.

"Who are you talking about?" Bryant's expression was confused.

"My stupid Aunt! She hates me and would love if I didn't go to my own mother's funeral." Hot tears were streaming down my face now.

Bryant walked over to me, placing his hands on my neck. "Look at me."

I turned my eyes to look at the floor, not wanting to meet his strong gaze. "Serenity," his voice was demanding and I gave in to his sweet voice.

"You can do whatever you want to. If you want to go to your mother's funeral, you can go. You don't have to stay home just because of something your aunt said. You make your own decisions, go for yourself." I wrapped my arms around Bryant's waist as far as they could reach. "Screw Aunt Lynn, you do what you want, there's nothing she can do about it." He tried to lighten up his tone in effort to make me feel better. It worked, as it always did, and would.

"Will you go with me?" I asked into his chest. I didn't think I would be able to get through my mother's funeral, but knowing my aunt – and most likely the rest of my family – didn't want me there made everything worse.  
"Of course I will. I'm always here for you." He kissed the top of my head and tightened his grip around me. "Come on; let's go get your stuff before my mom thinks we got lost." I smiled and led him upstairs to my room.

We packed a duffle bag with my favorite sweatpants, a tank top, and a few toiletries. Bryant slung it over his shoulder, and then scooped me up into his arms. "You ready?" His entire face seemed to glitter in the dim light of my room.

I nodded my head, making it spin more than it already was from being lifted off the ground, and kissed his soft cheek.

He smiled and I thought he was going to put me back on my own feet – where I would most likely fall over with the room still spinning, but he carried me downstairs to the car. I was about to uncurl myself from his arms to let myself in, but he just shook his head, shifting all my weight into one hand.

My eyes widened in awe and he waved his hand to show he wasn't playing some trick. I had never realized how truly strong Bryant was until now and I made a mental note to never get in a fist fight with him.

He opened the door and placed me gently on the seat before tossing my bag in the back. When he sat in the driver's seat and started the car, my eyes were still bewildered.

"I work out," he smiled at my pure amazement.

"Yeah, I noticed." He didn't even look like he'd just lifted 130 pounds in one hand. He was relaxed and just backed out of the driveway.

I was still thinking about how I had been convinced to sleep at a house I had never been to when we stopped in front of the mansion's front door. Was this how Bryant had felt when he stayed at my house? But he had volunteered and I decided they were two different situations.

When we arrived at the house, Bryant took me upstairs, pointing out Emily's bright pink room, his mother's craft room, and numerous guest rooms. Then he stopped at his room. Of course, it was covered with football pictures and more trophies. In one corner, lacrosse sticks rested against the wall, just waiting for the coming season.

"And this is where you'll be staying." Bryant opened the door next to his bedroom, revealing the largest guest room we had seen.

There was a large king-sized bed underneath a double window. The sheets had a blue and brown floral pattern giving the room a sophisticated elegance. Opposite the bed was an antique wooden desk with an open sketchbook and a cup full of pencils. I turned to Bryant with a questioning glare.

"Don't look at me," he took a defensive step back. "That has my mother written all over it. See," he pointed to the page that had neat script floating across it.

Just in case you can't sleep. Know you are always welcome in our home.

Eva Williams

"Your mom is too much," I shook my head.

We went back downstairs and out to the back yard after stopping in the kitchen to make ice cream cones. The rest of the family was already licking up the last drips of their frozen treats. Emily struggled to keep her shirt clean. Everyone mostly sat in silence, watching the sun set over the trees.

"Hey chocolate monster, time for bed," Mr. Williams scooped his daughter off the lawn as she opened her mouth to let out a yawn. Everyone went their own way to prepare for bed, but Bryant stayed with me.

I sat cross legged on the guest bed facing Bryant who matched my position. The covers were turned down, folded neatly at the foot of the mattress. We both stared at each other in silence, occasionally laughing a bit, like there was some inside joke we had. Every time he smiled and flashed his perfect teeth, a bright pink color rushed to my cheeks.

There was a light knock on the door, and Mrs. Williams stepped into the room. "Someone wants to say goodnight."

Emily skipped into the room and Bryant pulled her up onto the bed. She wrapped her skinny arms around my neck as tight as her small body could. "Good night Serenity," she whispered before turning to kiss Bryant on his cheek.

"Come on Bryant, let Serenity get some sleep," Mrs. Williams ushered little Emily out the door.

I turned to face Bryant again. I didn't want him to go, if there was anything that would help me sleep through the night in a strange house, it was him.

"Okay mom," he smiled at me and waited for is mother to leave before whispering in my ear, "I'll be back in ten minutes." He winked once before closing the bedroom door behind him.

I changed into my pajama pants and brushed my teeth in the private guest bathroom. I sat at the desk and turned the sketchbook open to a new page. My fingers pushed my pencil to glide across the page. I sketched the outline of two oval eyes, then shaded them in until Bryant was staring back at me. i shook my head. Was he the only thing I could think about these days, despite all that was going on.

By the time Bryant had come back into the room, I had finished his nose and mouth and started on his hair. I quickly shut the sketchbook, not wanting him to see my drawing, but he took it away before I could shove it in a drawer.

"What're you drawing?" He questioned as I attempted to take the book back from him. "It's nothing, now give it back."

"Just hold on, let me look."

I gave up, knowing there was no possible way I could win. Bryant was twice my size and strength. I dropped back into the wood chair and folded my arms across my chest.

He started to laugh once he opened to the right page, immediately realizing who he was looking at.

"It's not done yet, so don't laugh." I jumped up and grabbed the book from his hands when he least expected it.

"I'm not laughing because it's not done. I just find it hilarious that you couldn't find something better to draw."

"It's your fault." I shoved the book into the top right drawer hoping I wasn't making too much noise.

"What? I can't help it if I'm so addicting."

I glared at him, but he just smiled back. He wrapped his hands around my waist and made his lips meet mine. It was too hard to stay angry with him and I brought my arms up around his neck. I felt his left arm slide behind my knees and the next thing I knew, I was back in up in his grasp. He took an all of two steps, then dropped me on the bed and lied next to me.

"You know, I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own two feet."

"But where's the fun in that?" His hand rested on my waist and he kissed the tip of my nose. I looked over Bryant's shoulder to an old fashioned alarm clock; it was nearly midnight.

"I thought you were only going to be gone ten minutes." I eyed him accusingly.

"It took me a little longer to convince my mom that I was going to actually leave you alone than I thought. But I would never forget about you." He smiled crookedly, "You're too hard to forget."

I stared into his brown eyes and my heart melted.

"So, why don't you like your family?" He didn't meet my eyes as if he was questioning whether or not it was an appropriate question. "Did something happen?"

I paused, thinking of how I should answer. It was complicated at most parts, so I decided to start with the simpler parts. "Well, my mom came from a rich family, a really rich family. But she didn't want a part of that. She wanted the simple life. Once she met my dad, she kind of broke herself off from everyone but him. They were mad at her, but were glad she was happy.

"Plus, they're like the obnoxious kind of rich. They think they're better than us just because they have money and can by things we can't.

"My dad's family's different." Now came the complicated part. "They, well, they kind of kicked him out of the family as soon as he turned eighteen. He refuses to tell me why though. He never talks about them and I've never even met them. I just want to know why. If it was just a stupid fight, then maybe we could actually do something to make things better." I traced the pattern on the bedspread.

Bryant lifted my chin so I had to look at him. "There's still a chance you can change things."

"I know, but I wouldn't know where to start. And I don't want my dad getting mad at me." He kissed my forehead.

"We'll think about it in the morning. Now sleep." I closed my eyes and willingly gave into the overwhelming feeling of tiredness. I heard Bryant start to sing in a low whisper:

We live on front porches and swing life away,

We get by just fine here on minimum wage,

If love is a labor, I'll slave till the end.

I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

That night, I didn't have my nightmare, or at least not the one I'd been having for the past two nights.

It started back in the hospital, as usual: the long beep of a failed heart, my father crying at my mother's bedside. But this time, I wasn't frozen. This time, I ran, making my way through the woods. Then Bryant appeared in all his beauty, his shining smile and glittering eyes.

The dream cut to the future I'd been thinking about since I stopped thinking about since I stopped believing boys had cooties. Bryant held my hand as we walked across an open field. Ahead of us, a little boy and girl ran in circles playing tag, each with the same shine in their eyes as their father.

I woke up that morning to the sun shining bright through the window above the bed. Bryant was still sleeping with his hand resting lightly on my waist. I watched the sheets move slowly up and down with each breath. A light smile touched the corners of his lips, his face peaceful in slumber.

Bryant's eyelids flickered open, revealing his dazzling brown hues.

"Good morning," he whispered groggily. Even his morning breath smelled like peppermints.

"Good morning," I smiled and let him slide his body closer to mine. My feet felt like ice against his.

"No nightmares?" He kissed my lips, and then made his way down my neck.

"Nope," shivers ran over my skin as I felt Bryant's hand wrap around my waist and pull me tighter into his embrace.

"What did you dream about then?" His voice was just loud enough for me to hear.

"That's for me to know, and you to never find out."

He pulled away, enough that only our noses touched. "Come on, tell me."

"No way," I shook my head. If I told him what I had dreamt about, he'd surely make fun of me.

He rolled his eyes and kissed me the same way he had the first morning he'd picked me up for school. "How about now?"

"Oh fine," I grumbled and sat up so my back rested on the headboard.

"Works every time," a grin reached across his face and touched his eyes, proud of his new trick.

"I dreamed about the first time we met, and how you helped me when my dad left, and our kids," I mumbled the last three words hoping they would be incomprehensible, but a soft laughter escaped his lips.

"Well what'd you dream about?" I snapped at his enjoyment in my addiction for him.

"You of course," he pushed a stray hair out of my eyes. "The way you played with Emily, and talked to my mom. The first time I heard you laugh and the first moment I saw you." He took my hands and placed them on his shoulders. "You're all I ever think about."

I tightened my arms around his neck, closing the space between our mouths. What had I done to deserve someone like Bryant?

"Bryant and Serenity sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g."

I pulled away from Bryant as far as the bed would let me, my face flushing brighter than it ever had. Bryant pulled a pillow out from behind him and threw it at Nick who closed the door just before it hit him.

"Jeeze, I just came to tell you Ben's on the phone." Nick's head barely poked through the door so he'd be able to make a quick escape should he become a target of pillow fire again.

Bryant rolled groaned and hopped off the bed. "I'll be back," he reached over and kissed my cheek before following his brother into the hallway.

I brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my hair. I traded my sweatpants for jeans and a dark blue tee-shirt.

There was a knock at the bedroom door and I ran to open it. Bryant was dressed in dark wash jeans and a bright blue polo.

"Ready for your first pancake Saturday with the Williams family," his eye twinkled with a thousand stars.

"It's pancake Saturday?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Yep, best morning of the week," he smiled and grabbed my hand to pull me down the hallway.

"Good morning," Mrs. Williams chirped as she shoveled a stack of the biggest and fluffiest pancakes I had ever seen on a plate. "Did you sleep well Serenity?"

"Very well thank you." I glanced over at Bryant who sat across from me and the small kitchen table and smiled.

"So what are you kids doing this weekend?" Mr. Williams took the seat next to Bryant and started piling pancakes on his plate.

"Well, tomorrow is Serenity's mother's funeral." Bryant reached a hand over and rested it on mine. I turned to look at the floor, biting my lip to keep the tears from falling from my eyes. I was not looking forward to tomorrow and wished – for once – that Monday would come sooner.

"So I thought today we could head into the city. But I have to be back by seven. A bunch of the guys want to go over some things before try-outs Monday."

"Well that sounds nice. I'll give you some money to buy yourself a suit. You need it for your cousin Kelly's wedding as well as tomorrow."

"Kelly's getting married?" Nick's mouth was full with pancakes and maple syrup.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, and yes. I told you this months ago." Mrs. Williams cut Emily's pancake into bite sized pieces. "Serenity, you're invited too. I'm sure the rest of our family would love to meet you."

I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I thought of how Bryant's family would like me better than my own family.

"Are you sure?" I tried to hide the shaky sadness in my voice.  
"I'd rather have you with us than have to listen to Bryant talk about you for hours." Nick's voice was bitter.

For the first time, Bryant's cheeks turned a pale pink and he kept his head down, shoving a fork full of pancakes in his mouth.

"Okay, but I don't have a dress." I rarely got dressed up and my only dress was three sizes too small.

"Well, you can buy one today." Mr. Williams slid a plastic credit card across the table. "It's on us."

Bryant took the card and forked the last of his pancakes into his mouth. We both stood up and bid our goodbyes before heading out the front door.

Bryant sped the Mercedes down scenic roads, past the woods and a wide lake without over coming across a single car. Our hands were locked together and Bryant lifted them up to his face. He kissed each of my finders, my palm and then my wrist.

"Can you watch the road," my voice was stern, but was hinted with flirting laughter.

I turned myself so that I faced Bryant, half cross-legged on the leather passenger seat. I ran my fingers through Bryant's and traced the lines on his palm. Occasionally I would catch Bryant looking at me from the corner of his eye and I would shoot him a hard glare that would break into a smile. It was impossible to be serious for more than 5 seconds around Bryant.

The arch of endless trees eventually opened to a busy highway and we merged onto the crowded road.

It had been a long time since I had gone into the city. I had forgotten how breathtaking skyscrapers could be. I looked out the tinted windows to where the buildings met the open blue sky.

Bryant stopped at a red light and let two girls cross the street. They both slowed their pace and smiled, batting their eyelashes as they caught sight of Bryant. He ignored them and leaned across the car to kiss my cheek. The girls looked away from us and practically ran to the sidewalk laughing. I hoped it was at their own embarrassment by the way their cheeks practically lit on fire, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were laughing at the fact that someone like me was with the god that sat in the driver's seat.

We turned onto the next street and parked at the curb. Bryant held the door to the Mary Lynn Dress shop open and I walked in. I welcomed the store's heat, but groaned at the sight of glitter and short hem lines.

"Come on, dresses can't be that bad."

"That's easy for you to say. You never actually have to wear one with a set of matching pumps." I shivered at the thought of attempting to wear heels without falling flat on my face. Bryant laughed and we walked over to a rack of suits.

After twenty minutes of scanning the store, Bryant had picked two suites and convinced me to try on dresses I never would have thought about – let alone afford to – buying. I slid on a black dress with short puffy sleeves and stepped out of the small dressing room.

I stood in front of a long mirror, staring at my depressing appearance. An image of me standing over my mother's grave in the dismal dress flashed into my head, but became faded as I felt Bryant run a finger up my arm, his other hand resting on my shoulder.

"I never thought the first funeral I went to would by my mom's," I rested my head on his shoulder.

"You two were close, huh?" Bryant kissed the top of my head. He looked like a movie star ready to hit the red carpet in his black suit, white shirt, and matching black tie.

"I didn't have a lot of friends before I met you. I was too shy. My mom was all I had; she was my everything; my mom, my best friend, and all my relatives." I turned around and buried myself into Bryant's chest. Tears welled up in my eyes and he tightened his arms around me.

"You don't have to go."

"I know, but I have to say goodbye." I needed one last time to see her, even if she didn't have her smiling face. I needed the closure.

"Why don't you go and change into that other dress?"

I nodded my head and walked back to the dressing room.

When I re-emerged, Bryant was standing wide eyed by the mirror. I eyed him curiously.

"What?" My voice was heavy in sarcasm. I had never even thought about wearing a dress remotely close to this one before and I was nervous about my appearance.

"You look incredible." He smiled, making his eyes light up.

I stepped in front of the mirror, taking in the bright red dress. It had thin straps that reached around the back to tie in a bow and cut off at a flowing angle just above my knees.

"I can't pull this off," my voice was a tad louder than I had wanted it to be. This dress was made for models, not plain, boring girls like me.

"What are you talking about? You look beautiful." Bryant stood himself behind me again, snaking his hands around my waist.

"Are you kidding? I look horrible." We must have been looking at two different people. The girl I was looking at looked awkward, like a bear in a mouse suit.

"Ren," the way he shortened my name made it roll off his tongue. He pushed my hair over one shoulder and I felt his lips meet my jaw and make their way down to my collar bone.

"You really need to stop doing that," I whispered, my voice not functioning enough to speak any louder.

"Do you honestly want me to?"

"Not really."

A woman coughed as she walked into the dressing room and Bryant stood up strait.

"I'm buying it for you, whether you like it or not."

I rolled my eyes and went to change into normal clothes. I had forgotten how comfortable jeans could be. I hung the two dresses over my arm and walked to Bryant who stood by a long line of shoes. He held up a pair of red pumps with long leather straps.

"You're kidding me right?" I stared at the shoes that had a high chance of breaking my ankle.

"Just put them on."

I narrowed my eyes and snatched the shoes from his hand, trading him the dresses. He laughed and watched me struggle to wrap the long straps around my lower calf. How he had found shoes that matched the dress and fit my foot perfectly, I had no idea. But if Bryant was good at shopping, he could do it for me.

"There are you happy." I stretched my feet out in front of me then quickly reached down to take them off.

"Wait," Bryant grabbed my arm. "Stand up."

My eyes went wide in terror and surprise. "Is your goal to kill me by the end of today, or are you just finding new forms of cruel and unusual torture?"

Bryant broke into laughter. "Will you just stand up?"

I set my jaw and slowly rose off the bench I was sitting on. I wobbled a bit before finding my balance.

"There, are you happy?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Come here." Bryant took a step back and held out his arms, too far for me to reach from where I was standing.

"You want me to walk now too?" I let out a hard, sharp laugh.

"Come on, it can't be that hard." His grin widened.

"You're not the one in the four inch pumps."

"Just a few steps."

I took a deep breath and lifted my right foot off the ground. I hadn't taken a full step before I started falling, but I didn't hit the hard wood floor. Instead, I landed softly in a pair of strong arms that had kept me from falling so many times in the course of a week.

"I guess I'll just have to hold you up the entire party," his tone was mocking.

"You just might." Bryant set me back on the bench so I could un-strap the shoes that could easily be the death of me.

If I had my choice, I'd wear sweatpants and sneakers. But that isn't exactly wedding attire and not the way I wanted to present myself to the rest of the Williams family.

"Shall we have lunch," Bryant put the bag of deathtrap clothes in the back seat.

"Please, I'm starved," I clutched my empty stomach.

We had managed to spend two hours in Mary Lynn's and a half an hour in a small boutique where Bryant bought me a bottle of Cantare, though it didn't begin to compare to my favorite scent. Unfortunately, they don't sell Bryant in a bottle.

On the street corner, there was a small, old fashioned diner, complete with a jukebox, big red plastic booths, and a long ice cream bar.

The girl at the front desk shut the book she was reading and threw it under the podium. She stood up strait and looked at Bryant strange. Not the same way as the girls we passed on the street, but like she was searching for an answer.

"Is that little Bryant Williams?" The woman couldn't be older than a mere 25 with her bright blond hair pulled back into a tight bun.

"The one and only," Bryant smiled.

"Oh my! Look at you," she jumped out from behind the podium to hug him. I took a step back feeling out of place in their reunion. "You're not exactly the little boy I used to have to lift up to the counter anymore now are you?"

"You could try, but you might hurt yourself." They both laughed.

"Goodness, are you driving now too? How old are you?"

"Seventeen, got my license six moths ago," he left out the part where he drives twenty miles over the speed limit and doesn't look at the road often.

"The last time I saw you here, you were no taller than my shoulder," she held out a hand to show Bryant's old height. Now the line met the edge of his sleeve.

"Yeah, I've grown a little," they laughed again.

"Oh," the woman stopped laughing and turned her attention to me. "Who is this?"

"This," Bryant wrapped his arm around me, "this is Serenity. Ren this is Tina, an old family friend."

I smiled and shook the woman's open hand.

"Shall I get you a table?" Tina pulled two menus out of a plastic pocket on the side of the podium.

"Sure." We followed her to the furthest corner of the restaurant. I sat on the stool across the high round table from Bryant.

"I'll go tell Big Al you're here, Tina turned and went through the metal kitchen doors.

"How many people do you know here?" I took a sip of the glass of ice water from the center of the table.

"Well, if the same people who worked here three years ago haven't left, everyone." He smiled. "My parents worked here when Big Al opened this place and after they got married, we'd come in for dinner every Friday night."  
"Looky here, little Bryant Williams." A large balding man shook Bryant's shoulders. He wore an old white tee-shirt and a greasy apron was wrapped around his wide waist.

"Hey Big Al."

The man made Bryant look like a Ken doll. "You still playing football?"

"Of course, do you think my old man would let me stop? Even then, if he did, why on earth would I?"

The man laughed. "And this must be Serenity." He offered me a thick hand and I accepted. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He turned back to face Bryant. "It feels like just yesterday I had you sitting at that counter gulping down all the milkshakes you could fit in your stomach."

"Do you still make those?" Bryant's expression turned from a serious seventeen year old to that of a five year old in a toy store.

"Sure do. Let me whip you up a couple." Al went behind the counter to pour ingredients into a blender.

"You remember I like milkshakes?" I smiled looking into his brown eyes.

"I remember everything about you Ren."

I blushed. "I love when you call me that."

"What, Ren?"

I nodded. "No ones ever called me that before; I like it."

He leaned over the table to whisper in my ear, "Ren."

The sound sent shivers down my spine and wasn't helped when he laughed softly.

"Here we go," Al returned with two tall glasses filled to the rim. "Can I get you guys something to eat?"

Bryant and I placed our orders.

"Is that not the best milkshake you've ever had?" Bryant asked as I took a long sip of the thick shake.

"It is." Not a lie.

"You must be happy football is starting up again." I took another long sip until the cold gave me a headache.

"Yeah, and the new freshman are awesome," his tone didn't sound as happy as I though it should have. "But that means I won't be able to see you as much." He slid his hand over mine.

"You can come over after practice if you want, and you're welcome to stay any night. That is until my dad comes home; if he comes home."

Bryant squeezed my hand comfortingly. "He'll come home, I know he will. It's impossible to stay away from you."

I smiled half heartedly. The fact that he had chosen to leave me made me miss him more than I would have if he was forced to.

"Here you go," Tina placed our orders in front of us. "Anything else I can get you?"

"No, I think we're all set." Bryant answered.

I picked up a French fry and popped it into my mouth. "So, what are you doing tonight?" I asked.

"Just going to hang out with the guys, watch football, talk about football, play football-"

"Sounds like fun," I said, though I had no interest in the game he found so much joy in.

"Do you want me to come by after? I mean, I could come-"

"You don't have to," I swallowed hard. "I'll be fine," I lied. There was no way of knowing how I would do on my own. Bryant had been with me every second since I figured out how alone I was.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I can't keep you all to myself forever."

"Actually, you can." He flashed his perfectly strait teeth and brushed my cheek with his thumb. My cheeks ran bright red.

"I'll share. You're allowed a guys night out."

"Have I told you how much I love you?" He slid his chair closer to mine.

"Not today," my heart started accelerating as he leaned closer.

"You've got to be kidding me," Bryant groaned just before his lips brushed mine. I was taken aback and sat up in my chair, but relaxed when he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "What?" he asked harshly. A long set of words ran from the other end of the conversation. "Are you serious?" his voice now concerned and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "I'm in the city; I'll get there as fast as I can."

Bryant snapped the phone shut and waved Tina over to the table who came with a wide smile that made it obvious she had been watching us. "Would you like some dessert?" her voice was overly cheery.

"No, we have to get going," his voice had changed back to it's normal, nonchalant tone. "Okay," Tina ripped the small receipt off her notepad, but Bryant had already pulled two twenties out of his pocket.

"Keep the change, and tell Al I said bye."

I had to run to keep up with Bryant's pace as he walked out the door. He muttered something under his breath, but all I could make of it were a few profanities. After making our way out of the busy city streets in the dark Mercedes, he pushed the gas pedal down as far as it would allow. The speedometer needle ran it's way past 100 miles per hour. I closed my eyes, not daring to look out the window, and gripped the edges of my seat.

"You don't trust my driving?" Bryant asked, laughing.

"No," I gasped as I saw the needle inch towards 110. "I just don't trust the road, trees, any unsuspecting deer, and the other cars."

"Well trust me," he smiled like driving this fast was perfectly fine and normal. "The car is fine."

I shut my eyes again, trying to think about what could possibly be motivating Bryant to drive this fast. He knew I hated it when he went over seventy, now he was driving nearly twice that.

When we arrived at my house – which felt like it had only taken ten seconds – Bryant opened my car door for me.

"Is everything okay?" I asked when he didn't follow me to the door.

"Yea, the guys just need me for something. I'll be back in the morning." He lightly kissed my forehead before jumping back into his car and speeding away.


End file.
